When I woke up the next morning, Temari was gone. Birds were chirping loudly outside. Sunlight was shining brightly on my swollen face through the same window moonlight had come through just hours prior. I had a headache from hell, but surprisingly, I hardly felt the pain of it.

All I could think about was her.

Even then, laying in an unfamiliar bed alone, she was filling my thoughts. Her scent was all around me, and it was the most comfortable I had felt in such a long time. The feeling of her hand squeezing mine from last night was engraved in my mind and now, without hers in mine, it felt empty. This was the first time I had ever felt something like this for Temari; It was both fulfilling and terrifying. Fulfilling, because the emotion was warm and comfortable. I had felt it before.

Terrifying, because the last time I felt that familiar emotion, I was with Ino.

I tried not to reflect on it as much as possible because even though Ino betrayed me, I had been head over heels in love with her. Even still, after some time had passed, the betrayal stung. Once you are betrayed by someone you would have given your life for, you guard yourself from everyone; Afraid that they will hurt you like the person you trusted more than anyone else did. If the one person you thought would never hurt you, cut your heart out and stomped on it, why wouldn't someone else do the same? I vowed I never wanted to feel this feeling again. Love wasn't for me and I would never care about someone like I cared about Ino.

But here I was, laying in Temari's bed, my thoughts completely engulfed with nothing but her.

I'm not sure what it was that triggered it. If it was the eventful night we had or her warmth during a cold night, but I felt like I was seeing her in a new light. I had seen a new side of her; The sensitive, nurturing side. She was rock solid on the outside, one of the strongest women I have ever met in my life, but beneath her hard shell... she was human. A regular person who just wanted to care and be cared for.

Of course she's human, dumbass. I thought to myself, but how am I just now seeing her this way? Am I really that blind?

I laid there in my thoughts for just a little while longer before I decided I needed to get up. Once I started moving, the pain finally hit. I grimaced at the sharp pains that jolted from my head down to my toes as I threw my legs over the side of the bed. I could actually feel my head pulsing, and right then and there, I wanted to drown myself in pain killers.

Still, even though I felt like a walking punching bag, I soothed out Temari's sheets and adjusted the pillows back to the way they had looked before we went to sleep. I'm not in any way perfect, but my mother did teach me common manners, after all.

With grunts and groans like ninety eight year old man, I wobbled to the bathroom close to her bedroom. I leaned over the sink and turned the faucet on, splashing water on my hot face. When I looked up and into the mirror, I was surprised that my face actually didn't look as bad as it felt. Sure enough, my eye was black and blue and completely swollen, but other than that I didn't look like a completely deformed monster. My vision was still a bit blurry, but on the bright side, it was by far an improvement from last night.

After one more splash of water on my face, I made my way into the living room. Temari was nowhere to be seen. I had no idea where she possibly could have been or how long she had been gone. I gazed over at the couch and noticed my cell phone was in the same spot I had left it in last night. The last time I had used it was to text Chouji just to let him know I was staying at Temari's.

I picked the phone up and unlocked it. My battery was at 1%, which was expected, and also displayed on the front screen was a text bubble from Chouji. I tapped it open and it read in response to my previous text:

You're STAYING the entire NIGHT with that goddess of a woman?! Lucky bastard! Have fun, use a condom! There was a flirty emoji after the comment. After that text he had sent another one that read: Remember Shikamaru, it's your duty to please that booty!

I rolled my eyes in instinct and verbally said "ow" when I did so. I couldn't help it. Chouji was an idiot. Harmless, but an idiot nonetheless.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small folded piece of paper under where my phone had been. It definitely hadn't been there the night before, so I assumed Temari had to have placed it there before she left. It was smart of her to do, to make sure I would get it, but I desperately hoped she hadn't caught a glimpse of Chouji's ridiculous text. That would make for a very awkward conversation later.

I picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it, careful not to tear it. Once it was opened, squinting with my good eye, I read the following message:

Shikamaru, I ran out of coffee and went out to get some for breakfast. Just in case you're up before I get back, there's a box of donuts and cereal in the kitchen to eat. Help yourself. Be back soon. -Temari

I frowned. I wasn't one to go rooting around someone's kitchen, permission or not, and I couldn't deny the feeling that I really just wanted to see her.

I placed the note on the coffee table and sighed. Temari's cat had been rubbing up against my leg and purring the whole time I had read her note. I wasn't sure why the cat would, since every time I had encountered it, I either hurt it or scared the shit out of it. Still, I leaned down and patted it on the head. It continued to nuzzle up against me, pushing its head further into my palm for more petting. I wasn't really a cat person, or an animal person for that matter, but the fur ball was okay I guess…and it was a little cute.

For the next few minutes I just wondered around the apartment like a lost ghost. I hadn't wanted to help myself to Temari's food - even though she had said I could - but my freaking stomach wouldn't stop growling and I had no idea when she would be back. I helped myself to a chocolate donut in the kitchen and while devouring it – I had no idea I was so hungry – I took a look at some of the pictures Temari had hung up around her house.

Most were of her and people I obviously didn't know, although there were a few of her with Gaara and another dark haired guy who I assumed was probably her other brother, Kankuro. There were a few photos of just her, and those particular ones were of her doing interesting things. One was her about to jump out of a sky diving plane; Another one was her holding a lion cub. One that particularly caught my interest was of her sitting behind a table with a giant, monster sized hamburger on a plate in front of her. Seriously, this burger looked like it would be too much for a mountain troll to finish, let alone a smaller woman like Temari. You could actually see the grease glistening on the bun of the burger. The cheese had obviously been hot because you could see tiny bubbles coming off of it. It had the regular onions, tomatoes, lettuce and condiments dripping off it and it was so big, the sides of it were literally hanging off the plate.

I had no idea that Temari was so adventurous.

To anyone else, it may have just looked like ordinary accomplishment photos that normal people would hang up in their homes, but to me, it showed me the kind of person Temari actually was. Daring, unique, adventurous…Ino was never like that. Ino was perfectly content with seeing other people live their lives on social media and hitting like buttons to show support. But Temari…Temari was the one out there actually living it. She was actually seeing the world with her own eyes instead of seeing photos of it. It was almost intimidating to me; I considered myself a pretty relaxed guy. Lazy, I've been called, and I took it with pride because that's just who I am. Although, seeing the look on Temari's faces in these photos…I have no doubt at all that this girl could literally convince me to jump out of a plane if she tried hard enough.

Looking at all the photos of Temari's accomplishments made me grin. The stories she could tell to her children one day would be special keepsakes in her heart and it honestly made me jealous. One reoccurring thing in every single picture that stuck out in my mind was her face. My God, I knew before that she was a beautiful woman, but the photos just further reiterated it. Her light porcelain skin and her sandy blond hair, mixed with her pink pouted lips and shining eyes would drop any man down to his knees. Apparently I, too, wasn't immune to her looks.

My thoughts were interrupted by the jiggling of keys outside of the living room door. A key turned, and in response the door knob also turned, and then she was there. Hand on the door knob, door sliding against the floor, and holding two drinks in a drink carrier with the other hand.

My heart started beating harder, faster; My stomach jumped when her eyes looked into mine.

She smiled. "About time you woke up, slacker." She played, kicking her worn converse off her feet and to the side. She was wearing some gray, music festival t-shirt, black legging capris and mismatched socks.

I glanced at the clock. It read 10:43am. She was right, I was slacking. Usually I was up by at least 9:45.

I smirked, "Well, I think I have an excuse." I hitched my thumb up, pointing to the bruised monstrosity I called an eye.

"Don't be a baby. It's barley more than a scratch." She joked. I scoffed. "Grab these, won't you?" She extended her arm out, waiting for me to grab the to-go coffee cups in her hand.

I reached out and grabbed them, getting a whiff as she let go. One smelled like sweet hazelnut and espresso. The other smelt like ordinary green tea.

"You can pick whichever you want," Temari commented as she threw her purse onto the couch, "I know that time we went to the café you had preferred tea, so I got some, but if you want the coffee that's cool too. I don't mind tea."

I couldn't believe she actually remembered that. Ino never remembered small details like that, especially if it didn't pertain to her. She was extremely selfish in that way and it had always bothered me, even when we had been together.

I shook my head, "I appreciate it, I'll just take the tea. You didn't have to do that, I would have drank whatever."

"It's not a big deal. I was going to go get coffee cups for the kureig, but thought it would be better to just show up with hot and ready drinks." She replied. "Plus, I've been dying to try the hazelnut coffee they have out now. It's seasonal."

"Thanks for doing that, really." I was honestly grateful.

She shrugged, "Sure," she replied nonchalantly as she picked up the coffee from the drink carrier. She took a sip as I was picking the tea up and noticed I was still standing in front of the giant hamburger photo.

She nodded with her head towards the picture and said, "Admiring my wall decor?" She blew on the hot coffee and took another sip.

I looked at the picture, then back to her and nodded. "Yeah, actually. That's a pretty damn big burger."

She chuckled, "That was literally the best damn burger I ever ate, too." She walked past me and sat down on the couch next to her cat that had curled up on one of the throw pillows. She took a drink and stroked the sleeping cat. "Ate it all, believe it or not." She added a few seconds later.

I snorted, "Yeah, right."

"Dude, I'm not lying," Temari raised her eyebrows seriously as she crossed her legs, "Every damn bite."

"Temari," I stated, "That burger could feed an entire homeless shelter. There's no way you ate that all on your own."

She smiled, "I am not shitting you, I ate the entire thing."

"Sure, okay," I played along and winked with my good eye.

"Want proof?" She demanded, placing the coffee cup on the table in front of her.

"That's the only way in hell I'll believe you," I replied.

"Fine," she smirked as she leaned over, grabbing her purse. She started ruffling around in it; Pushing things aside and throwing random things out of it like a pack of gum and a tampon. God only knows all of the shit women carry in their purses.

After a few seconds of rummaging around, she took out a small black card from the side of her wallet and held it out to me between her fingers. I stepped forward and grabbed it. I examined it, the card stating: VIP Member along with her first name and a photo of her face. She was smiling but it was almost like her eyes were screaming. There were crumbs around her lips and obviously the clear glistening of what I assumed to be grease.

Her expression was proud as she stated, "They take your picture if you finish the whole burger and make you a VIP card. Once you have a card, you can eat there for free anytime you go." I looked up at her, dumbfounded. She laughed, "Seriously, I could go there every day of the damn week and get a free meal. Only a handful of people have ever finished it."

"That is…" I trailed off as I handed the card back to her, I was trying to find the words to say next. Again, if someone else were to look at her picture, some may find it displeasing that a woman can show such barbaric, manly qualities such as downing what HAD to be over five pounds of burger.

I guess I just wasn't the average person because I thought it was fucking awesome.

"That is damn impressive and quite frankly amazing," I finished. "Don't know if I'd put that picture on your dating profile, but hell, I appreciate a girl who can eat." And it was the truth. Girls who just order salad and water on dates are no fun.

Temari looked proud as she examined the VIP card once I had given it back to her. Her cheeks grew a slight shade of pink at my comment.

"Thanks," she commented. "I don't do a lot of cool stuff like sky diving and eating hamburgers made for elephants, anymore." Her tone was saddened just slightly. It was so subtle it could have easily been missed.

I had definitely heard it, though. "Why not?" I implored.

She shrugged, "Stuff like that is fun and all, but it's not as fun if you don't have someone to share the experience with. Sasori and I used to do all that stuff together…and well…" Her gaze shifted from me to the floor, "That clearly didn't work out so I just kind of keep to myself now days."

I frowned, "But if you love doing that stuff, you should keep doing it." I walked over and sat down on the couch next to her, that cat in between us. Temari looked up at me again as I sat down. "Life's short. Don't let some asshole who doesn't know your worth ruin it for you."

I could tell I hit a cord with her because she bit her lip slightly, which seemed very uncharacteristic of her. She picked up her coffee and took a sip without looking at me, and after a few moments of silence, she replied with:

"I know I already said it before, but thanks for everything you did last night." Her change of topics was a little random to me. She looked away from me as if she were embarrassed or shy. Again, something I had never really seen from her.

I shrugged, "No problem, I just wish that guy hadn't touched you like that."

She shook her head and finally looked back up at me, "Well, yes thank you again for that too, but that's not the only thing I was talking about." She stated quietly, absently scratching the sleeve of her coffee cup with her finger nails.

Clearly she was talking about the latter end of the night. I could feel my own face start to get warm and it wasn't because of my black eye.

"Uh," I stuttered, "Sure, I mean-" I really didn't know what to say. I mean, I knew what I wanted to say, but I just couldn't get it out. I felt like there was a lump in my throat and my palms started to get sweaty.

Her eyes met mine as I scratched the back of my head nervously. She was so damn beautiful I had literally choked up. How had I never noticed how mesmerizing she was before? Did that guy actually punch something loose in my head last night?

That was a lie, though, because there was one other time I had noticed how mesmerizing she was. At the quarry, when we had both been underwater and holding each other. In that moment, I felt exactly the way I feel now. It was just her and I, and nothing else mattered.

"Um, anyway," Temari interrupted before I could get another word out. I was kind of relieved she had. I had never been good with words. "Do you need any help getting home? Or do you think your vision is okay to drive back?"

"I can see better than last night," I replied after taking a sip of tea to wet my sudden dry mouth, "I'll be fine."

"I'm not kicking you out, but I do have to meet Kankuro in a bit to help him with household stuff. You know, broken leg and all." She explained.

I nodded. I hadn't forgotten about tripping over the man eating beast that they called a dog. "Nah, I get it. I need to get home and check on Chouji, anyway. Make sure the bastard didn't eat all my fudge cookies. I usually have to hide them, but he's found the hiding places before." It wasn't a lie. Chouji has no self control.

Temari giggled, yeah, like actually giggled. It was a…pleasant sound. "Let me know when you get home so I know you haven't died in a bloody car accident."

I smirked, "Sure."

I stood up, put my shoes on and gathered whatever I had brought last night, although it really wasn't much. We idly chatted as I did so, and then it was time for me to leave. Keys in my hand, I stepped out the door with her right behind me.

"Thanks again for making sure I didn't die of a concussion or anything last night," I mentioned as I turned around to look at her.

She smiled in acknowledgment. "See you soon?"

The question caught me slightly off guard. I wanted to be honest and tell her I wanted to spend the rest of the day with her, but tried to play it off cool instead. It seemed my emotions were more heightened today than they normally were. I almost wondered if that nurse, Kurenai, slipped some ancient love potion in my meds last night at the police station or something.

Joking, of course.

I nodded, "If you want to." I tried to keep my tone smooth and collected. Even then all I could think about was how warm her hand was last night and how I wanted to grab it.

She rolled her eyes but grinned, "I suppose I do. For some strange reason."

Then, just a second or two after she had said that, she leaned in with her arms open for a hug. Obviously I had hugged hundreds of people in my short lifetime, but this one was different and my heart beat picked up again as I returned the motion and pulled her into an embrace. It wasn't anything crazy, just a friendly everyday kind of hug. She smelt so amazing and, once again, all I could notice was how warm and soft she was.

After the hug, we said bye one more time and I left. I grinned the whole way home.

Once I got to Chouji's, of course, the inevitable happened. He grilled me for every single detail of the night. Obviously I didn't have much to tell. There was talking, very mild hand holding and sleeping. Boring, G rated stuff…and he didn't buy any of it.

"So you are telling me, that you spent the night at a woman's house, after getting in a literal bar fight over the girl, and you didn't even kiss her?" Chouji's tone was in utter disbelief.

I sighed for the umpteenth time. "Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying."

"You slept in the same bed as her, and didn't even SPOON, because you guys are," he motioned quotation marks with his fingers, "Just friends."

"Are you deaf? That's what I've been trying to tell you the whole damn time, Choj." I shot back irritably.

"Dude, you don't have to tell me all the details, but you can at least be honest." He stated blandly. "We're adults, okay, and we know what really happens when the sun goes down."

"I'm not lying!" I was getting frustrated with him, "We didn't have sex. Period."

"I don't believe it!" Chouji roared, "You don't just sleep in the same bed as a woman like her and not do something!"

"I mean, we held hands," I confessed. I had actually left that part out because I didn't want Chouji to look more into it than it was, but clearly he had already shipped that boat out.

Chouji stopped and raised an eyebrow at me, "You held her hand? Really? That's it?"

"Yep. That's it."

"Are you guys in fucking elementary school?" Chouji let out a ridiculous laugh that erupted from his chest, "Who holds hands anymore? Did you guys also play tag and eat glue?"

"At least I can get a girl to hold my hand," I not back bitterly. "Or at least get a girl to talk to me."

Chouji's face dropped from amusement, to disappointment. "Wow, dude. Uncalled for." He frowned.

It was obvious to anyone that Chouji didn't have a lot of luck with women. In his whole life, he had slept with two different girls and, although I wouldn't say anything to him about it, I was pretty sure the second girl just did it because she felt sorry for him. I loved him, he was my best friend, but he could be obnoxious sometimes and wasn't the best at prioritizing women over the latest food crazes.

I felt guilty after I had said it. "Sorry," I apologized.

Chouji, of course, bounced back quickly and in no time was back to talking about Temari. "So are you at least going to ask her out or anything? I mean, she held your hand, so she obviously has some kind of emotion...or pity… or something for you."

I shrugged. "I don't know, man. She's pretending to be my girlfriend to make Ino mad, so I don't know if that actually meant anything to her or not." It meant the world to me, but I didn't say that out loud.

"Yeah, she's pretending to be your girlfriend, but why would she keep pretending when Ino isn't even around?" He made a valid point. I shrugged, then he added, "I'm telling you, Shikamaru, she's got some kinda thing for you. I could tell from the beginning with you two."

I rubbed the back of my head, "Women are complicated, Chouji. It could just be all in my head and I don't want to throw myself out there on a limb, especially after Ino-"

"Seriously, dude, FORGET INO," Chouji interrupted harshly after I mentioned her, "She obviously wasn't the one for you. I know what she did sucks and it hurt you like hell, but you gotta leave her ass in the dust. You're never going to know who's out there for you if you don't take chances!"

I wanted so badly to argue back, but I couldn't. He was right. I knew he was. All I had thought about all day was Temari and how happy she had made me. All I wanted to do was rush back over to her apartment and just ask her out, on a REAL date, not a fake ass date just to get back at Ino. I liked her…a lot. Call it a crush, whatever the hell you want to. I couldn't fucking stop thinking about the quarry and last night. I couldn't stop thinking about how we met and all the conversations we had and that same feeling, in the pit of my stomach, every time I was around her.

She made me happy and that absolutely terrified me. That was the blunt truth of it. I didn't want to make myself vulnerable again just to be disappointed...Ino had been my entire life up until I lost her to the fucking Uchiha.

The reality, though, was I didn't lose her. She left me.

I opened my mouth to reply to Chouji, I honestly didn't know what I was going to say, but it ended up getting cut short as Chouji's familiar Kung Fu Fighting ringtone echoed from the kitchen. At least Temari wasn't here this time to witness the embarrassment.

"Hold that thought, we're not done," He held up a finger to me as he jumped up off the couch and ran to the kitchen, trying to get to his phone before it stopped ringing.

I slouched down into the couch and sighed. Before Chouji and I had gotten into this conversation, I had gotten an ice pack to put on my eye. I picked it back up off of the couch and placed it back on my face; It immediately brought relief to the bruising. My eye hurt like hell but the vision really was coming back in pieces and was already better than it had been this morning. Even though the pain was uncomfortable, I didn't regret it a single bit. If I had the opportunity to jump in front of Temari one hundred times over again, I would do it in a heartbeat…

I stopped my train of thought. There I was. Thinking about her AGAIN.

Ugh, what was wrong with me! I smacked the opposite side of my head with the bottom of my palm. Temari was my friend, obviously she was, but I couldn't stop thinking about her! It's like every single feeling I have ever felt for her since we met was rushing to the surface and I was drowning in it. It was too much. It was too soon after Ino. What if Temari didn't want to be anything more than friends? What if our chemistry was all in my head and she just felt pity for me because I've been a walking train wreck since the moment we met in that bar? Why did I let myself get so close to her?

I was about to do some serious self sabotaging when Chouji walked back into the room, phone in his hand, and his face slumped and pale. He looked like he had literally seen a ghost. I had been Chouji's friend for years and I could instantly tell that something was wrong.

I leaned forward, putting the ice pack down. In a concerned tone, I asked, "Hey, is everything okay?"

He shook his head quickly, then he replied, in a calm but offset tone, "That was Naruto…Hinata is in the hospital."

Of course it took us only a few short minutes to get our shit together and jump into the car, flying like a bat out of hell to the hospital. Naruto hadn't been very descriptive about the situation; All he had said was that he came home and found Hinata passed out on the kitchen floor and there had been blood on the counter and a gash on her head. He had immediately called an ambulance and rode with the unconscious Hyuuga back to the hospital. It had been about an hour since she was admitted and he was just now able to call people.

Chouji and I were silent the whole way with grim expressions. Hinata was the sweetest woman I had ever met, she was always so nervous and kind, there wasn't a single person who knew her that would ever wish harm on her.

It took us about ten minutes to get to the hospital and when we got there we calmly, but quickly, stated we were there for Hinata Hyuuga and were able to get her room number.

We were on our way back to see her, when we ran into Naruto in the hospital hallway, holding a cup of ice. He was clearly stressed, but gave us a saddened grin nonetheless. He had blood stains on his white T-shirt and it looked terrible. I gulped.

"Hey guys, thanks for coming," He began, "It means a lot. I called Sasuke too, but he wasn't able to make it." He didn't elaborate on this, but he seemed extremely disappointed.

"No problem man, is Hinata okay?" Chouji asked before I got a chance to say anything first.

Naruto nodded reassuringly, "Yeah, she's awake now, thank God. She lost some blood, so they're just going to watch her for a little bit, to make sure she's okay and also doesn't have a concussion or anything." He was uncharacteristically worried and upset, which honestly made my gut wrench because of how happy he always was. It wasn't a good feeling at all.

"What the hell happened?" I questioned as calmly as I could.

"I went out to get some missing groceries so Hinata could start the crock pot for tonight's dinner," Naruto started to explain, "And when I came home, she was on the floor. I tried shaking her awake and I even splashed her face with water, but she wouldn't open her eyes. There was blood on the counter and the floor, but the small puddle of blood under her head was even scarier. I called an ambulance and held her until they got there…" he trailed off, looking down st his shirt with the blood stains still vibrant red and obviously fresh. "Hence the blood on my shirt," he added.

I couldn't even begin to imagine what I would have done if I had walked into that situation. I desperately hoped I'd never have to find out.

"You said she's awake?" I asked, "Is she well enough for us to see her?"

Naruto nodded and looked up at me with those huge blue eyes of his, "Yeah, she is, I was just taking this cup of ice to her." He held it up to show it to us. "Follow me," he stated as he walked past us to lead the way.

As we walked down the hall, we passed by many rooms and many patients roaming the halls. Some just walked normally, others sat in wheelchairs. Doctors and nurses littered the hall, obviously, it was a hospital after all. Hospitals gave me such an eerie vibe. All the machines and just the smell in general was off putting. Not only that, but the thought that some people came here and are never able to go home again…was incredibly unnerving.

We got to Hinata's room and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw her sitting up in bed. She had a bandage on her forehead, above her right eye and she was wearing a hospital gown. Still, that didn't stop her from smiling once we walked through the door.

"Shikamaru, Chouji," Her voice was as soft as ever but it sounded a little weaker than normal, "What a surprise!"

"I called them," Naruto commented as he walked to sit down in the chair next to her. "They wanted to come see you. Here's your ice," he handed her the cup and kissed her cheek before he sat down.

She held the cup delicately in her small, pale hands. "You didn't have to come," she said quietly, but she was still smiling, "I really am fine."

Chouji approached the end of her bed and stood, "How are you feeling?" He questioned.

Her gaze shifted as it normally did when people asked her questions. She was such a shy, introverted person, which made her and Naruto all the more an interesting couple considering Naruto was polar opposite.

"I'm feeling okay. I'm just a little dizzy and my head hurts, but it's nothing severe." She looked over at Naruto and placed a small, fragile hand on his significantly bigger one, "I am just so grateful Naruto came home before I lost too much blood. He handled the situation very well."

Naruto intertwined his fingers with her slender ones and smiled, although his expression was still pained. He loved her so much and I knew this was incredibly hard for him to see her like this.

"I was just running on adrenaline," he responded to her comment, "All I could think about was getting her the help she needed. It was a blur, honestly…one minute I walked through the door, and the next we were in the ambulance." He turned to look at Chouji and I, "I didn't let go of her hand. Not even for a second."

Hinata smiled as she squeezed his hand gently. The love between these two was so raw and real, the whole room was just laced with it.

"How did this happen?" I implored.

"Well, the only thing I can remember is not being able to breathe well…" Hinata looked at me with her large, pale eyes, "I remember I was stressing out quite a bit…after what happened last night and also with the wedding stresses…I was fine one minute, and then the next I was reaching for a paper bag to breathe into and I tripped. The last thing I remember, before everything went black, was lying on the floor." Naruto squeezed her hand tighter as he looked down to the floor. I had known Naruto for a long time, and I knew that he felt guilty, just by the look on his face. I'm sure he had felt guilty because he hadn't been there when it happened. Of course it wasn't his fault, it could have happened to anyone, but I knew him well enough to know that he was finding a way to blame himself for it. If anyone should feel bad, it should have been me. I contributed to her stresses by pretty much starting a bad fight last night.

"The doctor says I was probably having a panic attack," Hinata continued, "I do have anxiety and I was feeling extremely anxious before I fell. He assumes that once I fell, I had hit my head on the counter on my way down and fell to the floor. The head injury is what had made me pass out." She let go of Naruto's hand and slightly touched the bandaged area about her eye. She looked so pitiful. You could still see there was matted blood in her hair and the whole upper right side of her face was swollen and bruising.

"Luckily," Naruto looked up at us from the floor, "The doctor said the gash only required fifteen stitches and it wasn't as deep as they originally thought. They said sometimes head wounds bleed a lot, but if you're lucky, they're not as serious as they seem."

Chouji and I both let out a breath we hadn't realized we were holding in. Like I said before, Hinata was such a beautiful and loving person. She was the kind of person you wanted to protect, because she was so small and fragile, and any kind of harm that came to her made you feel like you could have done more to prevent it. Accidents like this shouldn't happen to people like her.

"When do you think you'll be able to go home?" I inquired.

"Hopefully tomorrow," Naruto answered for her, "They just want to keep her overnight to make sure she doesn't have a concussion."

"That's smart," Chouji nodded. I also nodded in agreement.

Then I had realized I never actually apologized to Hinata for last night. I knew she was very upset at what had happened, even though it really wasn't our fault that the creep had tried to hurt Temari, but I still felt like I was to blame for how it all folded out.

"Hinata, I am very sorry for what happened last night," I apologized while stepping closer to meet her gaze head on, "I had no intention of that playing out the way it did."

Hinata met my gaze with a soft smile, "There is no need to apologize. I understand it was no ones fault. I just get so anxious over situations like that and my anxiety gets the better of me," she sighed but kept her smile. "I'm sorry you got injured as well."

I shrugged, "It's not that bad. We're kind of matching now." I chuckled.

That made Hinata laugh as well. "You're right, we are." Her laugh was so gentle and pure. "It's not your fault that it happened. In fact, I'm glad you stood up for Temari. She seems like a great person and I'm sorry that happened to her." She frowned at the unpleasant memory.

I rubbed the back of my head, "Me too," I commented.

"Before all this happened," Naruto interjected, "Hinata and I were talking about how we felt that Temari seemed like a good match for you."

That caught me off guard. "Really?" I questioned.

Hinata giggled slightly and nodded, "She's beautiful, Shikamaru. She seems like she would be a fun person to hang out with, even though we didn't talk long with her. I'm so glad you found someone," she commented as she glanced over at Naruto. Naruto met her gaze and once again, you could just feel their love in the atmosphere.

"Everyone deserves to be with someone who makes them happy." Hinata added, staring at Naruto and no one else. It was as if they were the only two in the room and, although she had been talking to me, it was as if she were talking to him.

Chouji nudged me with his elbow, but I didn't say anything. I couldn't say anything. All I could see was how much Hinata and Naruto truly loved each other and how perfect they were for one another. When you're around a couple like them, it's impossible to not feel their chemistry and passion. It's the same feeling I did have with Ino at one point in our relationship, although it seemed like forever since I had felt that same passion that they had.

Then I realized it actually hadn't been that long. I realized that I had felt that passion recently…so recent, I had just felt it last night with Temari. I had felt it before as well, at the quarry. That's why I couldn't stop thinking about her, that whole damn day I couldn't stop thinking about her, because I finally realized it wasn't because I had a crush on her.

It was because what we had was actual, raw, passion. And I was just now noticing it for the first time.

I heard thunder start to rumble outside and I looked out the hospital window in her room to see that it had started to drizzle rain slightly. Rain pitter-pattered on the window and I glanced back over to Hinata and Naruto. My heart felt like it jumped up into my throat.

With Temari's face in my mind, I knew exactly what I needed to do.

"Hey, I'm so sorry for this," I began, pulling Hinata and Naruto out of their trance to look at me, "But there is something really important I just realized I needed to do. Is it okay if we cut out of here and check on you guys later?"

Chouji shot me a questioning glance, but didn't say anything.

Naruto and Hinata nodded simultaneously, "Of course," Hinata replied. "Thank you again for coming to see me."

"Is everything okay?" Naruto questioned as I started nudging Chouji towards the door.

"Yeah, everything's great. I'll call you later, alright?" The words came out rushed more than I intended. I knew what I had to do and I couldn't focus on anything else at that moment.

Naruto nodded in return, and Chouji and I left. As soon as we were out in the hallway, Chouji stopped me and asked the obvious question in his mind.

"What's so important all of a sudden?" He demanded, raising a brow to me and my sudden change in behavior.

I took a deep breath, wiping my sudden sweaty palms on my pants, and in one breath said:

"I'm going to Temari's and asking her to go on a date with me."

Chouji's face lit up and he cracked the biggest damn grin his face could hold, "You serious?! Like dead serious?!"

I nodded, "Yeah. But you gotta drive me." Obviously, we had taken his car to the hospital.

"Hell yeah I'll drive you!" Was his reply and we took off.

My heart was beating quickly as I texted Temari once I got in the car, asking her if she was still home or if she had gone to Kankuro's yet. She had replied she was still home and I told her not to leave yet. She asked why, but I didn't say anything back. My heart felt like it was going to drop out of my ass.

Chouji gunned it as I told him where to go. The whole car ride, my brain was going over every single reason not to go through with it. What if she rejects me? What if she doesn't feel the same? What if she does end up going out with me and hurts me? What if this and that, it was giving me a headache. But we didn't stop.

That is, until we hit some traffic.

Someone had hit someone else's car, probably sliding due to the rain that was now pouring, and traffic was at a standstill while police were taking care of the situation. We were about two blocks from Temari's.

Chouji groaned as his hands gripped the wheel. "Of course!" He roared, "Looks like we're going to be here for a minute-"

But I was already getting out of the car.

Chouji looked at me like I belonged in an insane asylum as I shut the door. Rain began drenching me already and thunder crackled above me. He rolled down the passengers window and yelled at me though the wind and water, "What the hell are you doing?!"

I leaned down and smiled, "I'm running to Temari's." I couldn't wait. I wouldn't wait for my mind to change sitting in this standstill traffic. I had to do it before I lost my nerve, even if that meant running the rest of the way there.

She was worth all the two blocks on foot.

Chouji called out as he laughed, "Hell yes! Go get that girl!"

And with that, I took off. Weaving through cars and trucks, rain beating down on my head from above, I made it to the sidewalk and ran.

Rain was getting in my eyes and I was soaked to the bone, but I didn't care. I just kept running. I knew exactly where she was and I had to get there. My hair was tied up, but due to the running and the rain, it escaped it's tie and spilt over my shoulders. But I kept running.

Running past the traffic. Running past the convenience stores and people with umbrellas, looking at me as if I were insane. I probably was, honestly. Running in the pouring rain, probably getting sick from being soaked. But I didn't care.

All I cared about was her.

After running for what seems like forever, I made it. I was standing in front of her apartment and as I started to walk up the stairs to her door, the door itself opened and she was there. Dressed in the same clothes she was in before, standing under the doorway, safe from the rain. She looked at me as if I had three heads.

"Shikamaru?" She called our over the sound of pouring rain, "I saw you outside my window, what the hell are you doing out here? How did you get here?" She was clearly looking for my car.

"I had to see you," I answered loudly so she could hear me, ignoring her question about how I had gotten there.

"Well, what are you doing, get in here before you get sick!" She yelled back in a concerned tone.

I shook my head, "I have to talk to you,"

"Okay, fine, come in out of the rain-"

"I like you, Temari," I interrupted her before she could finish. I was shivering, physically shivering because I was so wet and cold, but I didn't care.

She didn't say anything. It actually looked like she was speechless, trying to register what was going on. I'm sure it was crazy to her, standing outside of her apartment in the rain, looking like a homeless shivering person…but I kept going.

"I like you. A lot. I've thought about you all day and-" I wasn't even thinking about what I was saying now, "and I what I felt last night with you was something real. I don't know exactly what it is yet, but it was real."

There was a silence between us, nothing but the thunder and a crack of lightning, and the chattering of my own teeth that I tried to hide from her.

She finally responded, quietly but loud enough for me to hear her, "I like you too." She grinned a little and my stomach dropped. I kept going.

"Then go out with me." I called out.

She looked surprised as she responded with, "A fake date like at the bar?"

I shook my head, my hair plastered to my face like glue. "No. A real date. I want a real date with just you." I couldn't believe I was doing this. My brain was fighting me. First, it was saying, Get out of the damn rain, dumbass.

Then it was saying, This is dangerous. Tell her you're not serious. Remember what Ino did to you.

But I shook the thoughts out. My heart was right in telling me to keep going. Temari wasn't Ino. I wanted to eat huge hamburgers with her. I wanted to travel the world. I wanted to jump out of a plane, if that's what she's wanted. I wanted what Naruto and Hinata had and I wanted it with Temari.

"I'm serious," I continued before she could say anything in response, "Let's give it a shot. Go out with me."

Temari didn't say anything for what felt like an eternity, until finally she grinned and said, "Okay, if I say yes, will you get out of the damn rain before you die of pneumonia?" She was laughing.

I laughed in response. "Maybe,"

"Fine. Get your ass in here," She yelled out, stepping back into her house to make way for me.

I was the coldest I think I had ever been in my entire life as I walked up those stairs to her, but the inside of me was on fire.

Authors note:

SURPRISE! And you thought I was gone forever. You thought I wouldn't ever update again. I am so glad to be back and providing new reading material for you all. Even now, I still have the reviews rolling in and I never thought people would love this story so much. Even though I have been gone for a painfully long time, I am so thankful to have you loyal readers and followers. I won't even get into all the reasons I haven't updated in such a long time, but the gist of it is still because of my work schedule. It also doesn't help that I no longer have a computer to type on. To provide this chapter for you, I typed the entire thing on my phone and uploaded it. I've been writing it for days now and am happy that I was able to give you all a more lengthy chapter after being gone so long. Once again, I revise the promise that this story will get finished. It has never been abandoned nor will it ever be. I'm hoping that I can get into regular updating schedule again and I won't be gone as long as I have been. Thank you all again for sticking with the story and believing in it and thank you for not being negative and ugly about me being gone so long. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I loved writing it. ShikaTema is finally getting somewhere, so stick around.

Love,

SakuraBlizzard20